Global Catastrophe Recap October 2018
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Global Catastrophe Recap October 2018 Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 United States 4 Remainder of North America 5 South America 5 Europe 6 Middle East 7 Africa 8 Asia 8 Oceania 9 Appendix 10 Contact Information 17 Global Catastrophe Recap: October 2018 2 Executive Summary . Michael leaves USD15+ billion in economic damage; fourth-strongest US hurricane landfall on record . Multiple tropical cyclones impact Asia-Pacific as the financial toll reaches into the billions (USD) . Storms and flooding in Italy leaves dozens dead & widespread damage to property and forestry Hurricane Michael became the strongest tropical cyclone on record to strike the Florida Panhandle and the fourth strongest hurricane to strike the United States mainland, based on reliable data since 1851. At least 45 people were left dead in the U.S. Widespread wind and storm surge damage was incurred along the Florida Panhandle coast and additional wind and flood-related damage swept throughout parts of Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland. Total economic losses – including physical damage and net loss business interruption – was anticipated to exceed USD15 billion. Public and private insurers were likely to incur payouts topping USD8 billion. Rainfall from what would eventually become Hurricane Michael initially spawned flooding across multiple countries in Central America. Total economic damage minimally exceeded USD100 million. October also featured several significant typhoon events in Asia-Pacific. The most notable was Super Typhoon Yutu, which crossed through the Northern Mariana Islands as a powerful Category 5 storm with 180 mph (290 kph) winds. This made Yutu one of the strongest tropical cyclones to ever impact a U.S. territory. Yutu would later make landfall in the Philippines. Japan was struck by multiple landfalling storms – Typhoon Trami and Typhoon Kong-Rey – as aggregated economic losses were expected to exceed USD1 billion. India faced landfall by Cyclone Titli as storm surge, high winds and inland flooding prompted economic damage topping USD920 million. At least 85 people were killed. Two tropical systems impacted Mexico – Willa and Vicente – though widespread major damage did not occur. Cyclone Luban made landfall in the Arabian Peninsula, with unspecified impacts in Yemen. A complex severe weather outbreak impacted much of Italy and other countries across Southern and Central Europe during the last week of October into early November. Nearly 30 people were killed in Italy alone as flooding, landslides, severe winds, and strong waves left widespread damage in the hardest-hit Italian regions of Liguria, Veneto, Lazio, and Trentino-Alto Adige. Total economic losses were likely to exceed USD3.4 billion, including a minimum of USD1.1 billion in Veneto alone. Further economic damage topping USD270 million was registered in Austria. Other costly and deadly flood events swept elsewhere across Europe during the month – including the extratropical remnants of Hurricane Leslie coming ashore in Portugal – with the combined economic toll likely to minimally reach into the hundreds of millions (USD). Additional major floods were also registered in Uganda, Iran, Jordan, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. Multiple outbreaks of severe weather were observed in the United States. Among the worst events impacted parts of Texas during mid-October as severe thunderstorms and torrential rainfall led to flash flooding in an area from Dallas/Fort Worth to Austin to San Antonio. Total economic losses were estimated to approach USD350 million. A magnitude-5.9 earthquake struck off the northern coast of Haiti. At least 18 people were killed, more than 540 others injured, and nearly 20,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. Global Catastrophe Recap: October 2018 3 United States Date Event Location Deaths Structures/ Economic Claims Loss (USD) 10/01-10/03 Flooding Arizona, New Mexico, California 3 Hundreds Millions 10/02 Severe Weather Northeast 0 Hundreds 10s of millions 10/10-10/12 HU Michael Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Central America 45 350,000+ 15+ billion 10/15-10/20 Flooding Texas 2 20,000+ 350+ million 10/31-11/01 Severe Weather Plains, Southeast 2 Thousands Millions Remnant moisture from Hurricane Rosa led to flooding across the Southwest from October 1-3. Several inches of heavy rainfall fell in parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and California – which had been coping with severe drought conditions – and prompted flash flooding in several communities. Flood inundation was noted in homes, businesses, and vehicles. Total economic damage was likely to reach into the millions (USD). Numerous rounds of severe thunderstorms swept across parts of the Northeast on October 2, leading to widespread damage. Most of the damage occurred in Pennsylvania, where no fewer than 14 tornadoes touched down – including four rated EF2. Additional tornadoes were confirmed in New York and Connecticut. Further non-tornadic damage due to straight-line winds or hail was noted in Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Total economic and insured losses were expected to reach into the tens of millions (USD). Hurricane Michael made landfall in the Florida Panhandle on October 10 as a 155 mph (250 kph) Category 4 storm, leaving at least 45 people dead in the United States. The cyclone caused significant wind and coastal storm surge damage in Florida as winds gusted beyond 120 mph (195 kph) and storm surge neared 9.0 feet (2.7 meters) in height. Additional wind and inland flood damage was noted in parts of Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas, Virginia, and Maryland. Michael became the strongest storm to strike the Florida Panhandle and the fourth-strongest hurricane to strike the United States mainland. Total economic losses were expected to exceed USD15 billion. This includes USD2.3 billion in economic damage to the Florida and Georgia timber industries, and another USD2 billion in agricultural sector loss alone in Georgia. Public and private insurers – including the National Flood Insurance Program and the USDA’s crop insurance program – were poised to make more than USD8 billion in payouts. Days of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms swept across Central Texas from October 15-20, leading to widespread flash flooding in several communities. At least two people were killed. Some of the hardest-hit areas included an area from Dallas/Fort Worth to Austin to San Antonio after more than 10 inches (254 millimeters) of rain fell. Rainfall return periods ranged from 1-in-50 and 1-in-200 years; or having a 2 percent or 0.5 percent chance of occurring in any given year. This caused numerous rivers to overflow their banks and led to significant inundation. Total economic damage was estimated to exceed USD350 million. Public and private insurers cited payouts nearing USD175 million. An outbreak of severe weather swept across southern sections of the United States on October 31 and November 1, killing at least two people. Powerful thunderstorms spawned tornadoes, damaging straight- line winds, and flooding rains across parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Florida, and Georgia. October 31 featured an estimated 55 tornado reports by NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center, marking the largest single-day number of such reports in 2018. Total economic and insured losses were likely to reach well into the millions (USD). Global Catastrophe Recap: October 2018 4 Remainder of North America (Non-U.S.) Date Event Location Deaths Structures/ Economic Claims Loss (USD) 10/06-10/07 Flooding Central America 15 Thousands 100+ million 10/07 Earthquake Haiti 18 20,000+ Millions 10/23 HU Willa Mexico 0 Hundreds 50+ million 10/23 TS Vicente Mexico 14 Unknown Millions Heavy rains triggered flooding across parts of Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Costa Rica on October 6-7. At least 15 people were killed. These rains were spawned by a tropical disturbance in the western Caribbean Sea that would eventually become Hurricane Michael. The worst affected country was Honduras, with tens of thousands of people affected and eight killed. Due to widespread agricultural and infrastructural damage, total, aggregated economic losses well exceeded USD100 million. A magnitude-5.9 earthquake struck near the northern coast of Haiti on October 7, killing at least 18 people and injuring 548 others. The tremor had an epicenter about 19 kilometers (11.8 miles) northwest of Ti Port-de-Paix. According to official damage assessments, 2,100 homes were destroyed and 15,932 sustained damage. Nord-Ouest province was the hardest-hit, with approximately 60 percent of the noted damaged buildings. Total economic losses were estimated to reach into the millions (USD). Hurricane Willa – a one-time Category 5 storm – made landfall at Isla Del Bosque, Mexico on October 23 as a 120 mph (195 kph) Category 3. The cyclone brought hurricane-force winds and coastal storm surge before rapidly dissipating over land and spawning torrential rain and inland flooding. Widespread damage was noted in the hardest-hit Mexican states of Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Durango, and Zacatecas. Total economic losses were expected to reach into the millions (USD). Agricultural damage in the Las Cañas River basin alone were listed at MXN200 million (USD10 million). The remnants of Tropical Storm Vicente made landfall in the Mexican state of Michoacán on October 23, spreading heavy rains across multiple coastal areas. At least 14 people were killed in flood-related incidents, including 11 alone in the state of Oaxaca. Excessive rains prompted several rivers – including the Papaloapan River – to overflow their banks and inundate numerous villages. South America Date Event Location Deaths Structures/ Economic Claims Loss (USD) 10/19-10/24 Flooding Trinidad & Tobago 0 4,300+ 10s of millions Torrential rains on October 19 resulted in widespread flooding across Trinidad & Tobago, with primary impacts in Eastern and Central Trinidad. Official assessments suggested up to 150,000 people being affected and 800 evacuated. Areas particularly affected by the flooding and landslides were Sangre Grande, Tunapuna/Piarco, Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, and Mayaro/Rio Claro regions.